Actor House Peters Dies

TV Ads’ “Mr. Clean”

Actor House Peters, Jr., known for playing the original Mr. Clean on television commercials, died of natural causes October 1, 2008, in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 92.

He was born January 12, 1916, in New Rochelle, N.Y. His father, House Peters, Sr., was an actor in silent films and his mother was actress Mae King Peters.

Peters grew up in Beverly Hills and studied drama in high school. After graduation, he scored roles in such films as Hot Tip Public Cowboy No. 1 and the television series Flash Gordon.

During World War II he served in the Army Air Corps. After the war, he returned to Los Angeles, where he acted onstage and in films, which included supporting roles in many westerns. For his western body of work—which included appearing with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry on their respective television series—he received a Golden Boot Award in 2000.

His other film credits include The Day the Earth Stood Still, Rio Conchos, The Dakota Kid, Strategic Air Command, Rebel Without a Cause and Man From God’s Country.

His additional television credits include Wagon Train, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, The Twilight Zone and Lassie.

He also worked extensively in commercials, and is particularly well remembered as the original Mr. Clean from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. He retired in the late 1960s after filming his last episode of Lassie.

In his autobiography, Another Side of Hollywood, Peters, Jr., wrote about his experience as the son of performing parents. His father has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Peters, Jr., is survived by his wife, Lucy, two sons, a daughter and four grandchildren.